Gemotions

He found the grade scrawled in red pen across the top of his calculus exam. A 'D'. Daniel’s vision blurred momentarily. His palms started to sweat. He reread the grade, as if the words might magically change. He gripped the desk so hard his knuckles turned white. This was a joke, a cosmic prank.

He scanned the problems, each correct answer now taunting him with its proximity to his failings. He could feel a pressure building in his chest, making it hard to breathe. He needed to talk to someone, to have this rectified. He rose, his legs feeling shaky.

He pushed his way through the crowded hallway, not noticing the other students. The knot in his stomach tightened with each step he took toward the professor's office. He was seething; the entire universe suddenly felt hostile.